Ex-councilwoman Ozuna calls for resignation; Chan apologizes

Leticia Ozuna with her children Ben Parafina, Nina Parafina, along with a photograph including their father, Sophia Parafina who who underwent sex reassignment surgery.

Photo By Robin Jerstad

Former District 3 Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna during a recent interview, is married to Sophia Parafina, who was once her husband before undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Photo By JASON HENRY

Sophia Parafina at her work at Code for America in San Francisco, Calif., where she works as a coder Friday, August 23, 2013. Former San Antonio City Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna revealed to the Express-News that her husband had a sex reassignment surgery several years ago. Parafina is Ms. Ozuna's spouse and is currently on a fellowship in San Francisco. In a secret recording, San Antonio District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan is flabbergasted by this reality and made caustic remarks about the LGBT community.
Jason Henry for The San Antonio Express-News

Photo By Robin Jerstad

Former District 3 Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna during a recent interview, is married to Sophia Parafina, who was once her husband before undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Photo By JASON HENRY

Sophia Parafina at her work at Code for America in San Francisco, Calif., where she works as a coder Friday, August 23, 2013. Former San Antonio City Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna revealed to the Express-News that her husband had a sex reassignment surgery several years ago. Parafina is Ms. Ozuna's spouse and is currently on a fellowship in San Francisco. In a secret recording, San Antonio District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan is flabbergasted by this reality and made caustic remarks about the LGBT community.
Jason Henry for The San Antonio Express-News

Photo By Robin Jerstad

Former District 3 Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna is married to Sophia Parafina, who was once her husband before undergoing sex reassignment surgery, speaks during a recent interview.

Photo By Robin Jerstad

Former District 3 Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna during a recent interview, is married to Sophia Parafina, who was once her husband before undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Former District 3 Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna is calling for the resignation of District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan, who was captured making disparaging remarks about the LGBT community in a secret recording of a May staff meeting.

Chan and aides were strategizing how to oppose a pending update to the city's nondiscrimination ordinance, which would add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Former Chan aide James Stevens released the recording to the San Antonio Express-News last week.

In the recording, Chan discusses Ozuna's family life. Ozuna, who lost re-election in May, is married to Sophia Parafina, a transgender woman; they have two children.

The Express-News had previously withheld that portion of the recording to protect Ozuna's privacy. Ozuna agreed this week to address the portion regarding her family.

“I am terribly saddened to learn that me and my family were used as subjects of ridicule and criticism by Elisa Chan and her staff,” Ozuna said in a statement.

“No words can adequately express both the anger and sadness our family feels as we deal with this disclosure. She has unequivocally disrespected all LBGTQ families, including mine,” she said.

“We wholeheartedly believe that the public trust has been compromised,” Ozuna continued. “I believe that Elisa Chan should no longer remain in a position of making prejudiced, ill-informed decisions that could cause irreparable harm to the good people of San Antonio.”

Friday morning, Chan released a public apology to Ozuna.

“I apologize profusely to Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna and her family for referencing their lives in our private conversation,” Chan said. “I did not address the withheld minute of the recording earlier because it was never my intention to hurt anyone.”